Caring for both aging loved ones and children can stretch you to the breaking point. From family dynamics to finances, emotional overload to time management – we’ll talk about handling all the challenges. You’ll gain resources to help lighten your load. And get tips for maintaining your own health and happiness in the “sandwich.”

Franklin & Marshall College (the “Plan Sponsor”) provides you with the opportunity to save for your retirement through the Franklin & Marshall College Retirement Plan (“Plan”). Your employer would like you to know more about how you can participate in the Plan. Whether you want to enroll in the Plan, or you are already enrolled but wish to change the amount of your deferral, you can accomplish your goal by filling out a “403(b) Salary Reduction Agreement.” You can obtain a copy of the agreement and information on the Plan from the Franklin & Marshall College Human Resources Office at College Square, by calling 717-291-3996.

Eligibility

All faculty and professional staff of Franklin & Marshall College who is regularly scheduled to work 20 hours per week or more for the College may make elective contributions to the Plan.

Please take a moment to review the Plan brochure or website before enrolling. Once you are enrolled, you can review and change the amount of your contributions and your investment allocations at any time. The exact date your investment allocations will take effect may vary depending upon the policies of the financial service firm providing the investment options you chose for plan contributions.

Also, please be aware that the law limits the amount you may defer under this and other plans in any tax year. For 2015, the limit under all plans of this type is generally $18,000 although larger limits may apply if you are age 50 or over. Each participant only gets one limit for contributions to all 403(b) plans, so if you are also a participant in a 403(b) plan of another employer, your combined contributions to that plan and to the Franklin & Marshall College Retirement Plan in 2015 are generally limited to $18,000. If you do participate in more than one 403(b) plan, you are responsible for tracking and reporting the amount of all of your contributions to the plans so that the total amount of all your contributions to all plans in which you participate do not exceed the limit. Note also that the sum of all of your contributions, and those of your employers, to all 403(b) plans that you participate in are generally limited to the lesser of $53,000 or 100% of your compensation in 2015.

How to Enroll

To enroll in the Plan, please print and complete an enrollment form. To allocate your contributions among the various annuities and mutual funds available through the Plan, go the F&M TIAA-CREF microsite. If you are already contributing, you can also log in through that microsite to transfer allocations among annuities and mutual funds, or to change the way your future contributions will be invested.

Brittany McClinton is the newest member of the Office of Admission team. Brittany will be an Assistant Dean of Admission responsible for covering her territory consisting of: ID, NJ (Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean & Salem Counties), OR, PA (Bucks & Philadelphia Counties), PR, VA, WA and WV.
Brittany grew up in a suburb outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Brittany attended Millersville University of Pennsylvania where she received her B.S. in Elementary and Special Education. She was involved in many campus programs and organizations such as New Student Orientation, Millersville's Admission Office tour guide and administrative assistant, and served as president of a dance organization on campus. Brittany’s passion for higher education and college access was sparked when she had the opportunity to become the Academic Supervisor for a program called the Pre-Scholar’s Summer Institute.
After graduation, Brittany became a College Adviser in a rural public high school with the Pennsylvania College Advising Corps. She truly enjoyed helping students, especially those from low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds as they transitioned from high school to postsecondary education and careers. Understanding that college access was an area that she was very interested in pursuing, Brittany attended Teachers College, Columbia University to receive her M.A. in Higher and Postsecondary Education. During her time at Teachers College, Brittany became the Graduate Assistant for Columbia University’s Financial Aid and Educational Financing Office. Brittany's professional goal is to advocate and provide support to students and their families to ensure that all students have access to postsecondary education.
In her free time, Brittany loves to express her creative side by doing many Do-It-Yourself projects or making various crafts using her new Cricut Explore Air Wireless machine. She enjoys finding recipes to make on Pinterest, dancing, singing, and hanging out with her friends and family. You can also be sure to find Brittany at any of the opening night showings of a Marvel Movie.

CHALLENGE & CHANGES: DEVELOPING YOUR PERSONAL RESILIENCE

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2015 at 2pm

Change is a fact of life. But that doesn't mean it's easy. Building up your resilience "muscles" can help you deal more effectively with uncertainty and change. Discover how you can adapt and remain productive during stressful times. Learn how to survive-- and thrive-- in today's complicated world.

Best of all, it's free.

July

"Shout Out to Thomas Sneed. Job well done in the Department of Public Safety Squad Room. It’s not easy to schedule a project where employees are present 24/7. Kudos to you and Team Clean." ~ Sharon Gromis

August

"Thank you so much to Marion Coleman for taking the time to come out and for preparing a special African-inspired dish with us at the Summer Potluck at the BCC. We truly appreciated it!!! Thank you!!" ~ Xay Chongtua

"Thank you Maria Flores-Mills for coming to the Summer Potluck at the Black Cultural Center and making one of your family meals for all of us to share!!! The students truly appreciated it!!! Thank you!" ~ Xay Chongtua

"Thank you, Ralph Taber, for providing chicken and potatoes at the Summer Potluck. We all appreciated it very much!!! Thank you!" ~Xay Chongtua

Don't forget to submit your summer Shout Outs!

Send your Shout Out for a colleague or department by submitting a form through theHR website or through Inside F&M by selecting the 'Community' tab!

Greg Wright, most recently executive writer and media relations manager for the president at Ball State University in Indiana, joins Franklin & Marshall as Associate Vice President for Communications on July 1.

Greg brings to his new role at F&M more than 30 years of experience in higher education communications and marketing. Prior to his work at Ball State, where he served since 2007, Greg was director of public relations and, later, director of publications at Hanover College -- another distinctive and highly regarded private liberal arts college in southern Indiana. He is also a former public relations officer at Northeast Missouri State University and began his professional career as a television and radio news reporter in Columbia, Mo.

Greg holds a bachelor's degree, cum laude, in broadcast journalism and master's degree in political science, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. By happy coincidence, he's also a Lancaster native, having been born and spent his early childhood in the area. He looks forward to returning to Pennsylvania and becoming part of the Communications team.

We are pleased to welcome Erika Bodell and Akanni Flowers to the Human Resources staff!

As human resources assistants, their positions will focus on implementing the requirements of ACT 153 background checks.

Erika offersa background in marketing and received her B.A. from Fairfield University. She has worked as an art director for an advertising agency, a marketing consultant, and provided logistical support for many start-up companies. Erika currently lives in Lancaster with her husband, Paul, and their three children. Outside of work, Erika enjoys tennis and skiing and is currently helping friends to open a winery in Hershey, PA. Erika has been involved with several boards within her school district and is looking forward to working in higher education.

Akanni (“aka AK,” in his words) is coming to F&M with 15 years of experience in Human Resources. Born in Lancaster, AK lived in Connecticut and Massachusetts before returning home and starting a family. He lives here with Tracy, his wife of 20 years, their two daughters Aarica and Kiara, and their two goldfish Domino and Wanda. In his time away from HR, AK is an avid wood worker and enjoys fishing and taking his daughters for motorcycle rides.

Former Franklin & Marshall College President Richard Kneedler and eight of the 11 recipients of the Richard Kneedler Distinguished Service Award, were honored June 4 with a bronze plaque placed in the atrium of the Steinman College Center.

After brief remarks, F&M President Daniel R. Porterfield unveiled the plaque before an audience of staff and administrators. The Kneedler award is given each year to a member of the professional staff for outstanding contributions and demonstrated commitment to the mission of the College.

This is very troubling, but the large Red Oak tree on the quad side of Marshall/Buchanan Residence Hall is in a state of irreversible decline. This tree is declining quickly and the large dead branches are prone to failure, resulting in an unacceptable risk to persons using the patio and walkways. Also the Linden tree behind LS&P did not leaf out this spring and we suspect this tree is dying. With the anticipation of summer camps beginning these trees are scheduled to be removed starting tomorrow.

I would also like to inform you of the five insect funnel traps that were installed on campus last week by the U.S.D.A. You will see them hanging from the branches of the five selected trees.

Please see the picture and e-mail with explanation below.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with these grounds issues.

Ted

Subject: Insect trapping

Mr. Schmid,

This is just a quick note to follow up and thank you for granting us permission to do the trapping at your facility. Chris Miller will be the employee who will be setting the 5 traps outside of your facility. The traps will be placed in a manner so that it will not impede your operation in any way or pose a safety issue. He will be monitoring the traps twice a month throughout the summer and we anticipate him removing them in the middle of August. The survey we are conducting is designed to detect invasive nonnative insects that might be harmful to Agriculture.

Thank you again for your cooperation and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

"David Ortiz has done an incredible job in Shadek-Fackenthal Library all year, despite a lack of consistent help in this very large space. I have really enjoyed working with him and especially appreciated our mutual respect. Thanks and be well, David!" ~Jared Julius

“Thank you Kelly Bertani for doing such a fabulous job planning the Employee Recognition Event this week! You worked hard to make the event special for everyone, and you certainly succeeded! Well done!” ~Laura Fiore

“Thank you F&O SWAT for helping to make the Employee Recognition Event run smoothly and look great.” ~Kelly Bertani

“THANK YOU to all members of the Business Office. You have a great team! No matter who I call they respond quickly and patiently! Thanks for all you do Business Office staff! I so appreciate it!” ~Sandi Smoker

“With determination and amazing organization skills, Beth Proffitt rallied F&M volunteers to provide the local community with the annual Dump and Run Sale! A tremendous amount of thanks and gratitude to Beth, Suzie Richter, Ann Steiner, Xay Chongtua, Meaghan Kauffman, Annalisa Crannell and a host of others for their time and efforts in making the sale a huge success!” ~Susan Walker

“Beth Proffitt did an amazing job planning and coordinating this year's Dump N Run. She stepped in at the last minute, and ensured that the event was well organized and coordinated. The event raised over $2,600 for F&M programs.” ~Julie Rhoads

“Debbie Joseph, on behalf of the Officers of Phi Beta Kappa, I want to share great appreciation for your willingness to handle logistics for our annual Phi Beta Kappa initiation ceremony. Your enthusiasm and caring attention to detail turns a wonderful occasion for our students and their families into a glorious event that highlights the joy of liberal education for everyone in attendance. Thank you Debbie!” ~Donnell Butler

It is with great pleasure that the Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development welcomes Chrissy Romeo '01 as the Operations Assistant for the Health and Legal Professions Advising Programs. After graduating from F&M in 2001 (English major and Dance minor), Chrissy gained strong project management, editing, marketing, and design skills in positions at companies in New Jersey and in the Lancaster area. Chrissy, her husband, and two sons live here in Lancaster. We are delighted to have her as a member of our team.

Tom Eickelberg has been selected to become the next assistant swimming coach and aquatics director at F&M. Tom earned his bachelor's degree in education from Adelphi University in 2011, and his master's degree in outdoor and environmental education from SUNY Cortland this year. He brings four years of collegiate coaching experience to Lancaster, having worked most recently as the graduate assistant swimming coach at SUNY Cortland since 2012.

Tom was a three sport student-athlete throughout his career at Adelphi, competing as a member of the cross country and outdoor track teams in addition to his membership on the men's swimming team. As a collegiate swimmer, Tom earned All-Metropolitan Conference honors 14 times and graduated as a school record holder in 6 different events. Tom still excels athletically, competing as a professional triathlete with a top-100 world ranking in the Ironman 70.3 professional standings in 2014.

Tom succeeds Eliot Scymanski '12, who served in the same position since his graduation and leaves F&M to join the coaching staff at Dartmouth College. Coach Eickelberg will begin his duties on Monday, June 8th.

Franklin & Marshall College’s merit increase program is designed to recognize and reward the valuable contributions of faculty and professional staff. The opportunity for an annual merit increase is based upon an individual’s annual performance evaluation and annually approved guidelines.

Salary increases depend upon merit rating and fall in the following ranges:

Above Successful 2.1 – 2.5%

Successful 1.1 – 2.1%

Below Successful 0 – 1.0%

Merit pay is fully aligned with the employee performance evaluation process and will be determined by the manager’s overall assessment of the employee's performance. Employees hired prior to April 1, 2015 are eligible for a merit increase. Increases for salaried employees are based upon their annual salary, and increases for hourly employees are based upon their hourly rate of pay.

For faculty, the average increase will be the same as professional staff, but increases are determined through a different process developed by the by the Task Force on Faculty Compensation (2010) and endorsed by the faculty.

How It Works

Each year, the salary pool for the next fiscal year is determined by the Board of Trustees. Human Resources oversees the merit increase process by providing guidelines to Senior Officers. Officers then use Salary Planner, an online tool in Inside F&M, that allows them to manage their respective salary pools and process merit increases easily.

Employees will be notified of their new compensation by their managers by the beginning of July.

As you pull out your swimsuit and tune up your bicycle, I'm sure the question on your mind is...What's ITS up to this summer?

What follows is an overview of some of the most significant initiatives planned for this summer. I hope you find this information informative. Please feel free to contact me with questions.

Academic Services

We will complete our transition from Blackboard to Canvas and shut down of Blackboard as of July 1st. This is well underway. Do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.

As detailed by Scott Vine in a recent communication, we are working closely with the College Library on a number of initiatives:

We will deploy solutions that will allow easy to use, off campus access to the Library’s scholarly databases and other e-resources without requiring use of the VPN.

In time for Fall we will close our Media Services Center in Stager and relocate and transfer ownership of the non-print media collection to Shadek-Fackenthal. ITS will maintain some presence on the lowest level of Stager but we will concentrate our service functions and staff in Harris with this move.

Also in time for Fall we will relocate Instructional Technology staff offices (Teb Locke, Nydia Manos and Chris Silansky) to Shadek-Fackenthal as part of the 1st floor renovation work happening there, to include creation of a digital initiatives area we look forward to working closely with the Library to bring to life.

Classroom updates

In Summer 2015, Information Technology will continue to enhance classrooms, conference areas and spaces across campus with digital technologies, increasing our saturation of installed technology in classrooms to 95% and digital technology to 44%. When classes resume in the Fall, over the last 18 months we will have completed the enhancement of 27 spaces, including 18 classrooms, 5 conference areas and 4 meeting spaces. For Summer 2015:

Working closely with a number of faculty, the Provost’s Office and F&O, we will continue efforts begun in summer 2014. We will build upon the ‘prototype’ classroom work with three significant renovations: Keiper 219, Kaufman 202, Harris 136.

We will also undertake a number of more routine classroom upgrades and new installations: Hackman 102, 119 and 124; Stager 101.

Administrative Services

Working closely with Auxiliary Services, we will deploy a new College ID card system and integrated new point of sale (think cash registers) solution to better support and manage integration with meal plans and menu management solutions.

Working closely with Student Accounts staff, we will deploy an improved online bill solution for students and their families.

Several working groups will begin or complete their work--or both!

A working group will review several webinar tool solutions and identify and recommend a solution for a campus license. This should dramatically improve the ease with which any office, department or individual could hold a web conference or meeting.

A working group will review possibilities for improving campus printing solutions, focused on how we make our way to improved services for students, faculty and staff that might allow for easy 'print anywhere' capabilities for everyone.

The file storage working group just last week provided me with their recommendations and we will begin the vetting and finalizing of plans for the future of eDisk services.

Security Initiatives

We anticipate rolling out password management tools as a first phase of an identity management initiative that will allow the institution to introduce both regular password change requirements and also allow for easy self-service password change. As well, we will complete phase one roll out of our desktop management solution, Casper, with management of our Mac classrooms and labs. A significant hard drive encryption effort is also underway with a number of areas slated for early summer.

We anticipate transitioning a number of administrative offices to a ‘terminal services’ set up for Banner and other administrative systems beginning more intensively this summer. Beyond security-related considerations, this should make it easier to manage browser and plug-in versions for staff desktops as automatic updates will then no longer introduce unanticipated problems. Many institutions have begun moving in this direction and report how successful it has been.

As a reminder…

On August 3, 2015, ITS will discontinue eDisk's capability to serve as a web-server. While no initiative can completely eliminate the potential for human error, diminishing the number of locations where it is possible to make a mistake is appropriate. There was a time when eDisk was the only means for faculty, staff and departments to make content web accessible. Today, there are several College-provided options depending on your need and requirements. Eliminating this capability from eDisk in August 2015 will allow us to further protect content remaining on eDisk. Instructional Technology staff, Web Services staff and Helpdesk staff are prepared to work with individuals and departments, depending on your needs and circumstances, to consider alternatives and advise on the relocation of web content hosted on eDisk prior to August 3. Contact the Helpdesk to request specific assistance.

Campus Technology Infrastructure Projects

We have a number of significant infrastructure projects we intend to complete this summer. Phase two of our network replacement which will increase campus wired network capacity by a factor of 10. We will also replace our campus firewalls and re-architect our internet connections to campus to take better advantage of our new infrastructure and bandwidth while also removing unnecessary complexity. We will also complete planning for a hoped-for summer 2016 replacement of our campus wireless infrastructure. As this is a significant investment and a complex initiative to complete, we have set an early deadline for completing this evaluation to assure ample time for planning the implementation. We will also complete an expansion of our available on-campus server infrastructure to add needed capacity as demand has increased to a point where our local failover capacity is not where it should be. We will also upgrade all of our campus user authentication services.

We are also pleased to share that over the course of summer 2015 we will transition responsibility for the College telephone system from Facilities & Operations to ITS. This has been a long-standing goal and we are happy to begin this work, particularly as we will need to complete a future replacement of our campus phone system before 2019.

As always, I am happy to answer questions or discuss any of these initiatives (or any of the many smaller items not listed here) anytime.

The Vivarium is happy to announce and share with the F&M community the birth of baby Victor Scott Basom on Monday, the 4th at 10 p.m. to Lillian Basom and her husband Aaron. He was born 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 20 inches long and is a happy and healthy bundle of joy.

The College Library is happy to welcome Bonnie Powers as our new Content Services Librarian, starting July 1. During the past nine years, Bonnie has worked with public libraries in Lancaster, Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry Counties as both a cataloger and a district consultant. She is pleased to return to her roots in the College Library, where she began her library career 12 years ago as a cataloging assistant. Bonnie lives in Lititz, PA in a sometimes empty/sometimes not nest with her husband, Wes, a dog and two cats. Her three children are in various stages of life and return often, which is just fine with her. Bonnie enjoys watching movies and cooking with wine—in hand and in the dish.

A number of changes are coming to the College Library and library buildings this summer. I'm writing here both for your information and to those using the spaces or accessing print and online collections over the next three months. There is a lot of work scheduled, so the timeline and details may change as we go along. I'd like to thank in advance our colleagues in Facilities, ITS, the Provost's Office, Development and Finance for their work and support in making this happen.

While building entrances may be adjusted as needed, signs will point the way. Certain spaces in each building will be inaccessible at some points this summer. We have no planned building closings at this time, but will notify you if that needs to happen. Both buildings are scheduled to be open Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm as this work happens.

In Shadek-Fackenthal, starting in mid to late May:

- The porch and trim on the front of the building will be scraped and repainted (the other sides were done last year).
- The lobby and most adjacent spaces will get new carpeting. New work spaces for circulation staff will be added.
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning units and controls will be replaced throughout the building.
- The Periodicals room will get an overall update, creating a more open and comfortable work/study space.
- The front northeast corner of the first floor, formerly the cataloging office, will become a multifunctional library/tech space, to be used by students as an open lab and for study, by faculty as a place to bring classes that employ instructional technologies, by librarians, the Faculty Center and others as a workshop location, and potentially by all as a spot where digital scholarship can thrive. We don't have a catchy name for it yet, but will work on it.
- And we welcome Instructional and Emerging Technology (IET) staff (Teb Locke, Nydia Manos and Chris Silansky) to the building - their offices will be at the back of the periodicals area. Co-location of instructional technologists with librarians and resources such as the Faculty Center has been shown to lead to collaborations that better support teaching and research, and we look forward to further pursuing those possibilities.

In the Martin Library of the Sciences, starting later in the summer (details are still being finalized, but we plan to have work done in a few areas), the work should include:

- New carpeting and paint on the first floor, the addition of some matching furniture from SFL, and an improved computer/study layout.
- The removal of empty shelving from the third floor balcony to create needed additional study seating.
- New furniture and carpeting on the third floor balcony.
- The reuse and relocation from Harris 136 (undergoing its own changes) of matching, modular tables and chairs on the ground floor.
- Repair work on the porch and patio area.

Finally, working closely with ITS:

We will deploy an authentication solution called EZProxy that will allow for simple off campus access to our scholarly databases and other e-resources without requiring download and use of VPN/Cisco software.
The non-print media collection (dvds and audio cds) will be relocated from Stager to Shadek-Fackenthal this summer. These items will be available to put on reserve for fall classes, and most of the rest will circulate to students like other library resources. The plan is to keep reserve items at circulation, and other cases on open, browsable shelves, with the discs available at circulation to request and checkout.

We're in pursuit of other physical and technological improvements in both library buildings as we go into 2015-2016. Hopefully this summer is just the start of upgrades to spaces and resources that are well used and appreciated by our students and faculty.

If you have questions about any of this, please feel free to stop by, give me a call or send an email using the contact information below. Our Ask Us email will also remain available all summer, at ask.us@fandm.edu -

The following trees are scheduled to be removed over the next couple of days. Unfortunately the large leaning Linden tree in front of the Buchanan House is leaning more now in the direction of the Alumni House and needs to be removed for safety reasons. The lawn in front of the Buchanan House is suitable for a replacement tree. The two white pines on the east and west side of Shadek Fackenthal Library have outgrown their space and create continuous maintenance issues for F&O. The European Hornbeam in front of Gerhart House is in its final stages of decline, so perhaps we can replace this tree with a smaller flowering ornamental tree. Lastly, the Sugar Maple tree on the east side of Meyran Hall between two larger trees is in decline and currently leaning. It has hollow cavities with associated wood decay and in its current condition is high risk, prone to failure and needs to be removed for safety reasons. The replacement of these trees will be reviewed by the Campus Tree Advisory Committee.

Thanks to all of those who supported the OMCA Awards. It really means a great deal to have faculty and professional staff acknowledge the hard work and commitment of multicultural/diversity programming on our campus. ~Xay Chongtua

Thank you to Nina Castillo, Domenick Rozzi, and Carol Schneider in the Admission Office, for your help behind the scenes preparing for the Legacy Breakfast. It was a pleasure partnering with you and welcoming the class of 2019 to the F&M family. ~Amanda Koerner

This is a Shout Out to Maryann Russell, Psychology Department, who has helped us shape gratitude for the life of Jim Geer with such grace and organizational skills! Thank you! ~Susan Minasian

Thank you to Brian Piersol, Facilities & Operations, for his quick response to a last minute request for a speakerphone. In order to make it work, Brian had to run a phone line into the space where none had previously existed. Thank you for going above and beyond! ~Eileen Austin

Big Shout Out for Dianna Zimmerman in theBusiness Office! Dianna came right to my office and helped me figure out a process that has had me stuck for months. She was kind and knowledgeable. Her patience is amazing! Now I know what to do and I still have my dignity! Thank you Dianna! ~Susan Minasian

Send your Shout Out for a colleague or department by submitting a form through theHR website or through Inside F&M by selecting the 'Community' tab today!

Did you know? Two-thirds of those approaching retirement do not feel financially prepared.

If you’re getting close to retirement age, you may be wondering if you’re financially prepared to stop collecting a paycheck. According to a 2014 TIAA-CREF survey of near-retirees (aged 55-64), even more surprising than the statistic above, is only 4% of respondents consider themselves extremely prepared.

National Financial Literacy Month is a good time to consider moves you can make immediately to help ensure your retirement will be as you imagine. These include:

1. Catch up on retirement savings: If you max out your contributions to your employer-sponsored retirement plans for the next 10 years, you may be able to save an additional $325,000.

2. Take advantage of a Health Savings Account (HSA): Healthcare costs may make up a big chunk of your retirement spending. An HSA, which can be established with a high-deductible health insurance policy, can help you manage those costs. Contributions, which can be rolled over year after year, grow tax deferred and can be used to pay qualified medical expenses at any time before or after retirement, although you cannot continue to make contributions once you’re enrolled in Medicare.

3. Check your asset allocation: Many people shift to more conservative investments when approaching retirement. However, with retirement lasting 20 years or more, a portion of your savings should remain in investments with the potential to grow and help with those later years.

4. Cover expected monthly expenses with a fixed-income annuity: Determine your “income floor”—the guaranteed* level of income you need to meet your basic expenses, such as food, housing and healthcare. See what Social Security and any pension payments will cover, and consider a fixed annuity to cover the gap.

5. Run the numbers: Online tools, such as TIAA-CREF’s Retirement Advisor, can help you understand if you are on track to hit your goals and adjustments you may need to make.

We’re proud to join with TIAA-CREF to support National Financial Literacy Month. Take advantage of the information, tools and resources. It’s easier than you think to build your financial knowledge and work toward financial security. Remember, a TIAA-CREF Financial Consultant can help you chart your progress and help you decide the best steps to reach the retirement you envision. For more information, visit the Advice & Guidance page on tiaa-cref.org.

Did you know? More than one-third (36%) of Americans who contribute to an employer-sponsored retirement plan have never increased the percentage they contribute.

This is according to a 2014 TIAA-CREF survey, which also found that one-quarter (25%) of respondents have never made changes to how their money is invested.

During National Financial Literacy Month and annually, we encourage you to review your retirement strategy and ask yourself three questions:

Am I enrolled in my employer’s voluntary retirement savings plan, in addition to any automatic employer contributions? If not, find out how to enroll today.

When was the last time I increased my contributions? You should aim to save 10-15% of your current annual income, including both your own contributions and any matching funds from your employer.

Do I have the right mix of investments?

Over time, even a properly balanced portfolio can get out of balance. Talk to a TIAA-CREF Financial Consultant to discuss the right investments for your current circumstances.

We’re proud to join with TIAA-CREF to support National Financial Literacy Month. Take advantage of the information, tools and resources. It’s easier than you think to build your financial knowledge and work toward financial security. To learn more:

Did you know? Only 39% of Americans prepare a monthly
household budget.

Improving your financial literacy starts at home – with budgeting. It’s a fundamental tool to help you understand your money: What you spend, debt you carry and opportunities to save.

During National Financial Literacy Month, use this worksheet to get a better understanding of where your monthly income goes and how you can take more control by tracking spending. Also learn about “good” and “bad” debt and finding the right balance.

Follow the 50/30/20 rule.

These percentages provide a rule of thumb to help you manage your spending:

No more than 50% of your monthly income would go to must-haves, such as housing and utilities— expenses you have to pay every month.

No more than 30% would go to wants, such as entertainment and gym memberships.

At least 20% would go to savings and paying down debt.

We’re proud to join with TIAA-CREF to support National Financial Literacy Month. Take advantage of the information, tools and resources. It’s easier than you think to build your financial knowledge and work toward financial security. To learn more:

You may have seen the March 2015 article in Bell & Tower focused on two information security policies adopted in January 2015. These policies serve as the framework for a number of forthcoming initiatives. The following information overviews three of these, focused on further protecting our data and systems, as well as your data and systems. All are part of a multi-year information security initiatives plan developed in the summer of 2014, however to date most have been more so 'behind the scenes' and focused on IT systems and procedures, laying the groundwork for much of what follows.

The most probable information security incident an individual or institution is likely to face comes in one of three forms: a lost or stolen device (laptop, phone, etc.), a compromised password, or some other form of simple human error. This premise has guided the prioritization of our initiatives.

Request #1: Be sure every device you own has a password or pass lock on it--phones, iPads, computers, etc.

What's a pass lock? When you open your phone or iPad, if you are prompted to enter a code of some kind (or tap your fingerprint) to access the apps inside, you have a pass lock. Not sure how to enable a pass lock or need help getting a password on your laptop? Visit or call the Helpdesk at 717-358-6789.

Initiative # 1:
ITS to enable pass lock security setting with Google for F&M: With the support of CITC, CAT and AdminIT, please note that on Tuesday, May 5th we will enable a security setting in our Google Apps environment that will require any current staff or faculty member's mobile device (cell phone, or a tablet like an iPad) that attempts to connect to any F&M Google data (email, Google docs, etc.) to have a pass lock. If you do not have a pass lock, enable one now to avoid problems accessing your data beginning May 5th.

Request #2: Change your password. It's more important now than usual.

ITS maintains several systems that support 'user authentication'. This is just a fancy phrase for a system that manages usernames and passwords and assures only those entitled to have access get access to certain campus systems or data.

Our primary user authentication system is very old, and will be retired soon because it cannot support many of the security and automation initiatives we are undertaking. We have added a new system, but the only way it will be aware of your account credentials is if you have reset your password sometime since November 1st. Many people, therefore, do not have a password registered in our new system. You will begin to see computers on campus that indicate you cannot login unless you've changed your password sometime since November 2014. This Fall, we will have better tools in place to manage campus passwords and I will provide more information prior to that time. But if you change your password now you'll be one step ahead.

Help us more quickly retire the old authentication system:
Take one minute and go to password.fandm.edu and update your password.
Remember, make your password unique. Don’t use a password you use for any other system. And don’t share your password with anyone.

Initiative #2:
Prior to Fall 2015, new password management tools will be in place. These tools will continue to enforce password length and/or complexity requirements as well as adding automated requirements for periodically updating your password. More details will follow as the date draws nearer.

Request #3: Please review the data you and your department have stored on eDisk. The only absolute security measure that protects confidential and sensitive data is deleting data that is no longer needed. Please pay particular attention to data stored in the 'sites' area of eDisk as that allows you to make data visible to anyone on the Internet.

Not sure what constitutes sensitive and confidential data and where to store it? Review the College's Data Classification Policy.

Initiative #3:
On August 3, 2015, ITS will discontinue eDisk's capability to serve as a web-server. While no initiative can completely eliminate the potential for human error, diminishing the number of locations where it is possible to make a mistake is appropriate. As you are likely aware, a working group constituted last Fall of faculty, staff and students have been researching, gathering user input and preparing a set of recommendations for the eventual replacement of eDisk as we know it, but that will take a year or more to fully implement. There was a time when eDisk was the only means for faculty, staff and departments to make content web accessible. Today, there are several College-provided options depending on your need and requirements. Eliminating this capability from eDisk in August 2015 will allow us to further protect content remaining on eDisk.

Instructional Technology staff, Web Services staff and Helpdesk staff are prepared to work with individuals and departments, depending on your needs and circumstances, to consider alternatives and advise on the relocation of web content hosted on eDisk prior to August 3rd. Watch for announcements or contact the Helpdesk to request specific assistance.

What follows are some quick highlights of other initiatives to be aware of or that you may want to take advantage.

Other Ongoing Initiatives in Brief:

Are you getting a weekly email from the College's CrashPlan service reporting on the status of your desktop/laptop back up? No? If you'd like to assure your data is backed up in the event of a hardware failure, contact the Helpdesk for assistance.

Ever wish you could easily have a super unique password for every service you log into but not have to remember them? Do you have passwords you need to share with colleagues? We have a tool for you! Discuss your password sharing needs with your supervisor and have them contact the ITS HelpDesk to coordinate a LastPass workshop for your work group!

Wishing you knew more about all things information security-related? Watch for announcements of the remaining 5 events in the 6-part information security series that began April 1.

Do you live in fear that your laptop or desktop could be stolen? Or that you might lose it? We do! IT staff have for several months been delivering new computers with encrypted hard drives. We have also been reaching out to departments that handle sensitive and confidential data to get their existing computers encrypted. While you won't notice a difference....this means if your device is lost or stolen the data on your device will be unreadable by the device's new 'owner.'

Future Initiatives in Brief:

Pilot efforts have been underway this year to further secure some of the campus systems that contain confidential data. In the future, particularly for offices that use Banner and related systems, tools will be deployed that introduce multi-factor authentication. An example you may have experienced is after entering your username and password, perhaps for your personal online banking service, you receive a one-time code on your cell phone that you are also required to enter before gaining access. This extra step helps to further assure it is you, and not someone who has stolen your password, making the connection. Related, for these same systems, most users will eventually be migrated to a configuration whereby, instead of running the application directly through their desktop web browser, you would click an icon that connects you to a server where your browser session would run. Your experience would be the same, but further security can be introduced through this alt! ernative 'terminal services' set up that is becoming more so the standard in higher education. However, this is is a heavily evolving landscape so I foresee this strategy may evolve over the next several years, particularly with the rapid acceleration of cloud-based offerings.

In closing, I appreciate your assistance as we continue to do all we can to protect our information resources. I would be happy to answer questions and discuss any of these items with you, as would my colleague Eric Smith, our Chief Information Security Officer who serves consortially in this role for F&M, Bucknell and Susquehanna University.

Office of Financial Aid

A representative from TIAA-CREF will be on campus on the dates listed below to conduct individual retirement counseling sessions with interested members of the faculty and professional staff.

Please call TIAA CREF at 1-800-732-8353 to register for an on campus, 45 minute, individual session. (Individual Sessions are arranged through TIAA-CREF.)

A TIAA-CREF representative can project your retirement income needs; review investment options; help you establish an individualized savings strategy; and review ways in which retirement income can be received. For eligible faculty and professional staff, TIAA-CREF will also help you determine how to allocate your savings between your retirement account and an Emeriti Health Account.

Individual sessions will be held during normal business hours in the Human Resources conference room, 2nd floor of College Square. Spouses/partners are welcome.

From 11:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 23, F&M's Facilities and Operations Department will plant a tree in honor of Arbor Day. The planting will occur at the northeast corner of the Ann & Richard Barshinger Life Sciences & Philosophy Building. The event is sponsored by the Campus Tree Advisory Committee.

One in 4 people have a diagnosable mental health disorder.
Active Minds at F&M educates the campus community about mental health
by promoting an environment on our campus in which people are
comfortable finding help and are able to access available resources.
Our goal is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness.

All members of the Franklin & Marshall community are expected to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct in carrying out their duties and responsibilities for the College. The College is committed to operating in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and College policies. Read more about the Whistleblower Policy.

The Conflicts of Interest Policy clarifies the types of situations that may create a "conflict of interest", so that such situations can be avoided. A conflict of interest is defined as a conflict between an employee's private interests and his/her responsibilities to the College. A conflict of interest exists when an employee's actions, activities, or decisions made on behalf of the College are influenced by some gain, or potential gain, to the employee.

Stop by Coe Camera Gallery, 220 N. Prince St, during the month of April to view the work of F&M staff photographer Melissa Hess. The exhibit showcases a series of photographs featuring dancers & movers in everyday locations around Lancaster City doing what they do best, each portraying their own unique style or story in whatever environment they find themselves in. See exhibit info here: http://perfectimagecamera.com/exhibit-melissa-hess/.

Christopher Raab, F&M's Archives & Special Collections Librarian, is the featured artist for April at Steeple View Lofts, 118 N. Water St., Lancaster.

From 5-9 p.m. on the city's First Friday event April 3, Raab's work will be on display at Steeple View. To see more of his work, visit his website, daddypapapress.com.

Born in eastern Pennsylvania, Raab relocated to England at age 11. There, he attended the American School in London and returned to the United States to attend Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Raab specializes in abstract paintings and mixed media pieces that he produces under the name “daddypappa,” a nickname coined by his youngest daughter. “I work in acrylic and metal, and incorporate a variety of print-making techniques into my paintings. My pieces draw on anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures found in petroglyphs, leaves, skeletons, tools, scrap metal, and fossils,” Raab said.

Raab chooses to work with warm metallic color palette, but frequently employs chemical processes such as rusting and oxidation.

The College Library is pleased to welcome Chelsea Teachworth as a part time weekend circulation supervisor. Chelsea received a B.A. in English from Temple University in 2008. Prior to completing her studies, she spent a couple of years in Alaska and a short stint in New Mexico.
She currently lives in Lancaster with her husband Chris and her son Charlie. When not fulfilling the roles of wife and mother, Chelsea enjoys reading anything interesting she can get her hands on. She also works on writing her own short stories and philosophical musings.

The Biking/Walking sustainability working group and the Wellness Committee invite you to welcome the arrival of spring by participating in an Active Commuting Challenge during the month of April! Participants who get to work by muscle power five times between April 1 and April 30 are eligible for 10 Highmark Wellness points and a prize drawing at the end of the month.

The walking-biking group wants to see how many trips and miles we can log together this month, and we propose that everyone interested set a goal to muscle themselves to and from work at least TEN TIMES this month. We also want to encourage mutual support and discussion, so we plan to send out a few progress reports and tips during the month. You may ``register” to receive these emails by contacting Michael McCooey at michael.mccooey@fandm.edu. Our reporting form also records your F&M email address automatically, but you can opt out (or back in) as you prefer.

All those who complete and record at least FIVE active commutes this month will be entered into a drawing for a choice of a biking or general fitness prize sponsored by the F&M Wellness committee. For the purpose of this program, walking or biking from the train station to campus counts.

Everyone who completes at least five muscle-power commutes this month is also eligible to claim ten points in the Highmark Wellness Rewards program. You need to register for that program on your own, and claim your own points there. We'll remind you of details later in the month.

If your Research Assistant will have graduated from F&M College this May or is not a current student of F&M College these instructions are for you.....

Please do not wait to get the "Request to Hire" form submitted. College policy mandates a completed background check before any new professional staff member begins work, and a background check can take up to 2 weeks to process.

Human Resources must authorize all new hires prior to an offer being extended. If you already have a lead candidate identified, call x4353 or email Maryann Wynn at maryann.wynn@fandm.edu for a "New Hire Documentation Form" to expedite the process.

Shout Out to Wayne Hoffman, Large Van instructor! On his own, Wayne attended a 6 hour Driving Education course to further his knowledge and update his skills to better serve our community! ~Barbara Wilson

Ryan Massey and SWAT worked together to relocate library shelving in and out of several rooms at the Shadek-Fackenthal Library. Thanks to their hard work we were able to repurpose several spaces as well as create a new office area. The shelving project also helped to clear out a cluttered room that will be used for some our rare books.
Exciting times! ~Jennifer Buch

Shout Out to Ruth Lansinger! An alumna currently in Mexico on a Fulbright needed financial assistance to get to the US to participate in a finalist interview for yet another fellowship opportunity. Ruth was so helpful in getting the funds processed and checks cut quickly so that we could get the money to her in New York City (where she went for the interview) rather than spend even more on a reliable and traceable mailing method to Mexico. Thank you, Ruth! ~Monica Cable

Shout Out to Dr. Amy Myers and all the staff at Appel Health Services for being open even in the SNOW! They rock!!! ~Susan Minasian

A big THANK YOU to Adam Ramsey and ITS for always being helpful without making technologically challenged people like me feeling stupid. He was patient and so very kind yesterday and I can't thank him enough. ~Susan Minasian

Send your Shout Out for a colleague or department by submitting a form through theHR website or through Inside F&M by selecting the 'Community' tab today!

The College’s Senior Officers approved two Information Security-related policies in January of 2015.

Ensuring the security and availability of institutional data is critical for the College. Information Technology staff have been working diligently to improve the security of our systems and networks, but good security cannot be achieved through technology alone; we need everyone’s help. F&M Information Technology Services (ITS) has been working closely with our academic and administrative governance groups to develop and advance a number of policy initiatives designed to bring operations into alignment with international standards for best practices for information security with the leadership and guidance of our Chief Information Security Officer, Eric Smith.

Our Data Classification Policy defines three classes of institutional data -- Confidential, Sensitive, and Public -- and outlines requirements for their use and protection, as appropriate. This policy should make it easier to consider and answer questions about where and how to store and manage data. This policy also serves as a necessary framework for future policies and initiatives by guiding campus priorities and strategies.

Our Information Security Policy for Mobile and Remote Devices addresses the unique security challenges of our always-connected mobile work lives. This policy includes a number of requirements that Information Technology staff will work with individuals and departments to implement. For example, the policy requires that any computing devices used to access confidential or sensitive institutional data must be protected with a passcode lock. Over the coming weeks, we will enable the setting in our F&M Google environment which will assure F&M-connected mobile devices in use by those employed by F&M have the passcode lock enabled, and prompt users to configure one if not present.

An Information Security Initiatives Team has been meeting since March 2014 and has developed a set of initiatives that has been reviewed with various governance bodies which is guiding a wide range of security initiatives you will learn more about in the months ahead as they advance. If you are interested in seeing the fuller information security initiatives plan or discussing ideas, questions or concerns for data security in your department, please contact Eric Smith, F&M’s Chief Information Security Officer.

Please watch for email announcements from Carrie Rampp, CIO, of forthcoming security-enhancing initiatives, derived from the plan described above, all of these efforts will help us work together to best assure your information and the College’s information is as secure as possible.

For a healthier lifestyle, the American Heart Association, with the support of the Lancaster Heart and Vascular Institute of Lancaster General Health and the cooperation of Franklin & Marshall College, will unveil a new public walking path at noon April 1, National Walking Day , at the corner of Race and Buchanan avenues.

The new walking path follows a 1.5 mile loop around the campus, starting at the corner of Race and Buchanan, then heading east to College Ave., north to Harrisburg Pike, west to Race Ave., then south to the starting point at Buchannan Ave. Signs marking the route will feature a map to track progress and healthy tips to keep walkers motivated. For more information about the new walking path, call 717-207-4221.

Physical activity is important for overall wellness, but about 80 percent of adults do not get enough activity to maintain good health. Regular physical activity can contribute toward lowering an individual’s risk for heart disease and stroke, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing or controlling blood pressure, raising “good” HDL cholesterol, reducing risk for diabetes and some types of cancer, better sleep and increased energy. The American Heart Association recommends that adults get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days per week, or a total of 150 minutes.

Facilities & Operations

The Office of Financial Aid is pleased to welcome Eric Kopp as a new
Assistant Director. Eric comes to Franklin and Marshall after working
in the Financial Aid Office at Elizabethtown College for the past four
years. Prior to his time at Elizabethtown, he was a Freshman
Admissions Counselor at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island
University.
Eric graduated from Elizabethtown College summa cum laude with a
bachelor’s degree in political science in 2008, and received a
master’s degree in public administration from Long Island University
in 2011.
He has also spent some time in the classroom, teaching two courses in
political science at Penn State Harrisburg during the 2013-14 academic
year.
In his spare time, Eric, a Long Island native, enjoys cheering on the
New York Yankees and Jets, working on home improvement projects and
playing slow-pitch softball during the summer and fall seasons. He
and his wife, Natalie, live in Elizabethtown with their Chinese
shar-pei, Yogi.

Take advantage of these upcoming wellness events and earn points toward this year's Wellness Rewards program!

Cigna Seminar-Staying Active

We know that exercise is important, but do you know all the reasons why? In this seminar we will look not only at the physical benefits, such as reducing disease risk, but also learn about the emotional benefits of being active. We'll address common excuses that keep us from exercising. And talk about good ways to get started and stay motivated. This session will count for 10 points in the Wellness Rewards Program.

Bring all of your nutrition questions to this session and have them answered by college nutritionist Carol Spicher. You are encouraged to bring questions or nutrition labels with you. We will have an open discussion about reading nutrition labels as well as quick and easy meal planning. This session will count for 10 points in the Wellness Rewards Program.

Spring is here! Let’s start biking and walking to work again! The Biking/Walking sustainability working group and the Wellness Committee invite you to participate in an Active Commuting Challenge during the month of April. Participants who get to work by muscle power five times between April 1 and April 30 are eligible for 10 Highmark Wellness points and a prize drawing at the end of the month. Signup details to follow!

Many find it difficult to use the traditional method of sitting in silent meditation. An alternative is to use sounds. The gong represents the sound of OM--sound of creation and universe. Using the harmonics of rare Nepalese gongs and Himalayan singing bowls, Dean & Kat will create a 'soundscape' to allow the mind to focus, transcend stress, and find a place of calmness.

The College is again pleased to request nominations for the Richard Kneedler '65 Distinguished Service Award. Via this award, the College recognizes one member of the Professional Staff each year for his or her outstanding contributions, service and demonstrated commitment to the mission of the College.

During his long association with Franklin & Marshall College, Dick Kneedler exemplified what it means to be a true citizen of this College and many others have been inspired by his example. Please take some time to identify others who you believe should be recognized for their contributions and service to Franklin & Marshall. All members of the College community are invited to nominate a deserving member of the Professional Staff for this prestigius award.

The recipient of the Richard Kneedler Distinguished Service Award will be announced during Commencement ceremonies and receive a $2,500 cash award in recognition of his/her distinguished service to the College.